Giro d'Italia: Andreas Leknessund takes pink jersey as Aurelien Paret-Peintre wins stage four

1 year ago 33

Andreas Leknessund connected the podium wearing the leaders' pinkish jersey

Norway's Andreas Leknessund moved into the wide pb astatine the Giro d'Italia contempt being beaten to the enactment by France's Aurelien Paret-Peintre successful signifier four.

Paret-Peintre made a precocious onslaught with 150m remaining to triumph the 175km thrust from Venosa to Lago Laceno successful 4 hours 16 minutes 4 seconds.

Leknessund, 23, is conscionable the 2nd Norwegian to clasp the leader's pinkish jersey aft Knut Knudsen successful 1981.

"It's ace special," helium said.

"Obviously I went for the signifier and besides knew that pinkish was possible. I had 1 onslaught wherever I went all-in to driblet him and I made it but helium came backmost successful the descent.

"My legs were hurting truthful much, but it's ace peculiar to beryllium successful the pink. That was the extremity earlier the signifier but arsenic everyone knows cycling is not truthful casual and to really marque it is unbelievable."

Williams targets Giro signifier triumph successful 'fresh start'

This was toughest upland signifier of the contention truthful acold featuring 3 large climbs, including 1 to the finish.

It took astir nearly 80km for a breakaway to form, with a seven-man radical opening up a five-minute pb astatine 1 stage.

Team DSM rider Leknessund and AG2R Citroen's Paret-Peintre past opened up a spread connected the starring radical connected a steep ascent adjacent to the finish, with the Frenchman's precocious surge sealing victory.

"It was a cleanable time for maine - the breakaway was ace hard to make," said Paret-Peintre. "After, until the decorativeness was ace hard but I'm ace happy.

"I cognize I'm faster than him [Leknessund] truthful we collaborate until the decorativeness line. I deliberation helium takes the maglia rosa [pink jersey] truthful everybody's happy, maybe."

Wednesday's signifier 5 is simply a 171km thrust from Atripalda to Salerno, featuring galore climbs earlier a level finish, wherever a wide sprint is expected.